Lama Norbu (Ruocheng Ying) goes to the city of Seattle looking for the reincarnation of his dead teacher, Lama Dorje (Ven. Geshe Tsultim Gyelsen). He meets youthful Jesse Conrad (Alex Wiesendanger) and Raju (Raju Lal), a waif from Kathmandu, and a high-born Indian girl. All three are children and together they travel to Bhutan once they arrive they have to endure a lengthy examination to confirm which the true reincarnation is. All throughout the film the story and legend of Siddharta (Keanu Reeves), later known as the Buddha unfolds. His long spiritual voyage from unawareness to true enlightenment is traced.